Amusement device



Patented ct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AMUsEMEN'r DEVICE John Loeil'ler, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,321

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, the principal object being to provide a device of this character which is apparently a puzzle but which in reality is a deception and merely a toy adapted to aord considerable amusement to the owner at the expense of others,

Another object is the provision of an amusement device in the apparent form of a puzzle having an innocent appearance and which upon being operated causes a pointed instrumentality to make contact with the hand of the operator.

A further object of the invention includes the provision of a device of the type described which is extremely simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will effectively carry out the purpose for which it is designed.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing,l and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several different views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my amusement device illustrating the preferred method of holding the same in the hand during operation thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken axially through the device shown in the previous views as on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, the device being shown in its inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the device in its fully operated position;

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the component parts of the device with certain parts thereof shown in section and others in broken condition.

The amusement device comprising the present invention comprises what appears to be a solid stick of wood or other suitable material having a string or cord connected to the same. The

lock, however, is hollow and is interiorly provided with a needle or other like pointed instrumentality so construct-ed and arranged and connected to the string or cord that when the string or cord is pulled it will cause the point of the needle or other pointed instrumentality to project a short distance off from an end of the block and in event the opposite ends of the block are held between the fingers of a person, will cause one of such fingers to be pricked with the needle. The needle is preferably of such small size and the opening into the end of the block 5 so correspondingly small that a cursory examination of the device by the ordinary person will fail to disclose it, thus aiding in carrying out the deception. Preferably in order to further carry out the deception and to render it easier 10 tov catch an unsuspecting person with the trick,

it is preferable to provide the free 'end of the string or cord with a loop or ring which may be slipped over the body of the device so as to impart the appearance of a puzzle to it. The 15 deceptiveness of the device is preferably enhanced by winding an additional string or cord about the center portion of the body of the device so looped or knotted around the string or cord attached to the needle as to give it the 20 appearance of being an integral part of the first mentioned string or cord.

Referring. now to the drawing it will be observed that the device includes a main body portion I0 which may be formed of any suitable 25 material but which for the purpose of economy and ease in manufacture will ordinarily be formed of wood. The main body I0 may be of any suitable cross-sectional conguration or of longitudinal contour so long as the shape or 30 contour adapts it to the purpose for which it lis designed. It will ordinarily be found to be more economical to form it in the shape of a cylinder as sho-wn. As best brought out in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 the main body I0 is provided with aconcentric 35 bore I2 opening thereinto fromA one end and terminating short of the opposite end thereof. The open end of the' bore I2` is closed by a plug I4' which preferably fits the walls of the' bore I2' and is suitably securedA in place as by gluing .10` or the like. The outer end of the plug I4 is preferably made flush with the corresponding end of the main body I0 and is preferably suitably finished off smoothly' at its joint therewith and such joint, as' well as the remainingl surface 45- of the device, preferably covered` with a suitable paint or the like so as to conceal such joint and to give the block the appearance of being solid.

The plug I4 is provided with av centralbore I 6 preferably of very small size as willv herein- 50 after be more fully explained. Within the cham'- ber I8 formed in the main body I0 between the blind end of the bore I2 and the opposed end of the plug I4 is received' a needle 20 or equivalent pointed instrumentality of greater length 5:5.

55 trated in Fig. 4 is exaggerated for the 5 needle 20 and Ieye 22 may be identical in all respects to conventional sewing needles found on the open market, it is preferable that the eye 22 be of greater width than ordinarily found in conventional sewing needles so as to facilitate the insertion of a string or cordv therethrough.

This may be accomplished by employing a oonventional sewing needle and heating the eye portion thereof and inserting a pointed tool into the eye portion thereof to spread it to approximately the Vshape shown. A string or cord 24 has one end thereof passed through the eye 22 i and tied in a knot so as to secure it thereto. A light coil spring 26 positioned in the chamber I8 surrounds the needle 20 and is maintained under longitudinal compression between the inner end the plug I4 and the knot of the string or cord 24 at the eye 22 of the needle 20. The spring 26 aids in centering the needle 20 in the chamber I8. It will be observed that the spring 25 26 constantly urges the needle 20 to the full extent of its movement within the chamber I8 in which position the point of the'needl-e is withdrawn from view in the bore I6 of the plug I4 as illustra-ted in Fig. 3.. The string or cord 24 extends within the chamber I8 from the eye 22,

when the needle 2B is in normal inoperative position, towards the point of the needle to an opening 28 which extends through the wall of the main body portion I 0 intermediate the length of the chamber I8. 'Ihus it will be observed that by pulling on the string or cord 24 it will cause the needle 20 to be projected` outwardly in the opening IS against the force of the spring 26 as illustrated in Fig. 4, the extent of movement of 4g'the needle 20 in this respect being governed by the position `of the opening 28 with respect to the eye 22 when in normal position and the position of the point of the needle with respect to the outer end oi the plug I4 when the device is 415v in inoperative position. Preferably the relation of the parts are such that when the string is pulled to project the needle 22 the full extent of its movement it will project from the corresponding. end of the main body I0 and plug I4 a distance suicient to give a person grasping suchend a distinct prick but will not project a sufficient distance to cause any real injury to the operator. It might be noted that the amount of projection of the point of the needle as illuspurpose of illustration only.

It will also be appreciated that in order to aid in carrying out the deception the diameter of the needle 20 should be relatively small, and

the bore I6 and particularly the outer end portion thereof only of'suicient size to permit the needle to be projected the required distance therefrom. In other words the size of the bore I6 is preferably as small as practicable so as not to be readily apparent to one casually Vinspecting the device. It will also be appreciated that it is preferable to so proportion the various parts of the device that the hole 28 is positioned approximately midway between .the ends of the main y body I0 so that the cord 24 will appear to be centrally secured to the main body.

While the device thus far described is fully operative, the deceptive qualities of the same may be enhanced by concealing the fact that the string or `cord 24v projects through an opening in the main body I0'. This is most conveniently taken care of by winding a second cord or string 30 about the main body I0 and providing one loop thereof on each side of the string or cord 24 and forming a loop in either one or both of the turns about the cord 24 as indicated at 32 in Fig. 1. By arranging the supplementary string or cord 30 in this manner and particularly where the loop 32 is provided about the string or cord 24, and by forming both strings or cords of the same material and of the same color it creates the impres- Sion that the string 24 is an integral part of the string 3U and the two parts are joined at the `knot 32.

AIn order to render the device still more deceptive and to impart the appearance of a puzzle to the same so as to enable it to be worked upon an unsuspecting victim with greater ease, it is preferable to provide a loopon the end of the string or cord 24 permitting it to be extended over the main body I0. This may be either a loop formed in the string or cord 24 itself or may be a separate ring such as 34 tied t0 the free end of the string 24 as illustrated.

As a matterv of illustration, with the device constructed as above described it may be represented to an intended victim as a puzzle in which the ring 34 is slipped over the main body IU as illustrated in the drawing and the main body I0 grasped at the opposite ends thereof between the thumb and forefinger of a person as illustrated in Fig. 1 with the representation that the puzzle consists of getting the ring 34 off of the main body portion I Il without removing the thumb and foreflnger from the opposite ends of the main body Ill. The victim himself in attempting to get the ring 34 off the main body Il) according to instructionsV will usually inadvertently pull the string or cord 24 so as to cause the projection of the needle 20 suiciently to prick his finger, or some other person knowing the trick may ostensibly manipulate the device while still held by the victim to demonstrate how the puzzle can be solved and thereby cause the projection of the needle 2U to the surprise and consternation of the victim.

It will, o1" course, be observed that after the string or cord 24 has been pulled to project the needle 20 the needle 20 will immediately be retracted as soon as the pull on the string or cord 24 is relieved, so that particularly where a needle of smaller diameter is employed and the opening for the same in the end of the plug I4 is exceedingly small, the victim quite often will fail to discover the reason for the effect produced until he is afforded a greater opportunity to study the construction and operation of the device or until it has been explained to him. In any event it has been found that the device is such as to produce considerable amusement among a group of persons. Y

Formal changes may be made in the speciiic embodiment of the invention described without departingv from the spiritlor substance of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the ap-pended claims.

What I claim is: Y

l. In a device oftheV character described, in combination, a main body portion having a bore therein, a plug closing the open end of said bore whereby to form a chamber within said main body portion, said plug having a relatively small opening extending axially therethrough leading into said chamber, a needle-like device in said chamber vhaving the pointed end thereof received inand guidedv by the walls of said opening and normally fully concealed within said opening, a coil spring inv said chamber surrounding said needle-like device, a flexible cord having one end thereof knotted through the eye of said needleklike device and extending through an opening in the wall of said main body portion intermediate the opposite ends of said needle-like device when in normal inoperative position, said coil spring being maintained under compression between the inner end of said needle-like device and the opposed end of said plug whereby to constantly urge said needle-like device toward retracted position, and the position of said opening in the wall of said main body portion through which said flexible cord extends being so related to the length of said needle-like devise and the normal inoperative position of the point of said needle-like device in said opening in said plug as to limit the extent of projection of the point of said needle-like device to a substantial but relatively short distance from the outer end of said plug when impelled thereby by a pull on said exible cord.

2. In a device of the type described, in combination, a main body portion having the appearance of being solid but having a central chamber concealed therein and having a bore in one end thereof leading into said chamber, a needle-like device within said chamber having the pointed end thereof received in and guided for axial movement by said bore, spring means Within said chamber constantly urging said needle-like device inwardly of said chamber whereby to conceal the point of said needle-like device in said bore, a exible element secured to the innermost end of said needle-like device and projecting through a wall of said main body portion intermediate said innermost end and the point of said needle-like device whereby upon pulling said flexible element the point of said needle-like device will be caused to project through said bore and beyond the end of said main body portion, and a ring on the end of said flexible cord adapted to loosely encircle said main body portion.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a main body portion having a bore therein, a plug closing the open end of said bore whereby to form a chamber within said main body portion, said plug having a relatively small opening extending axially therethrough leading into said chamber, a needle-like device in said chamber having the pointed end thereof received in and guided by the walls of said opening and normally fully concealed Within said opening, a coil spring in said chamber surrounding said needle-like device, a flexible cord having one end thereof knotted through the eye of said needlelike device and extending through an opening in the wall of said main body portion intermediate the opposite ends of said needle-like device when in normal inoperative position, said coil spring being maintained under compression between the inner end of said needle-like device and the opposed end of said plug whereby to constantly urge said needle-like device toward retracted position, the position of said opening in the wall of said main body portion through which said nexible cord extends being so related to the length of said needle-like device and the normal inoperative position of the point of said needle-like device in said opening in said plug as to limit the extent of projection of the point of said needlelike device to a substantial but relatively short distance from the outer end of said plug when impelled thereby by a pull on said flexible cord, and another flexible cord of the same character as the first mentioned flexible cord closely looped around said main body portion and around the iirst mentioned cord at the point of emergence thereof from said main body portion whereby to create the impression of forming an integral part of the first mentioned cord.

JOHN LOEFFLER. 

